Car seat in a car with non retractable seat belt

[Nannyneedshelp101]

Help! I have two boys who go to school in a small car with non retractable seat belts. They have been in full body car seats but need to move to boosters as they are now to big to fit in them. All the boosters I have looked at say they only work/need to be in cars that have retractable seat belts. I phone the company that I got the car from and they have no idea. What do I do?

[BertieBottsJustGotMarried]

Unfortunately there are no boosters which work like this. Your options are

Find a car seat which is harnessed for longer and fits with this style of belt.

Get retractable seatbelts retrofitted

Don't use car seats at all (may be illegal, not sure, may depend on age of car)

[BertieBottsJustGotMarried]

If they're over 3 they can travel without a seatbelt if there isn't one, I assume this would be covered by that although of course it's not safe.

[mercibucket]

have you looked into changing the seatbelts?

logically, i dont see why using those seatbelts with a car seat is any worse than using those seat belts without a car seat. can anyone explain?

[LastingLight]

I had a retractable seatbelt installed in my car for that reason.

[McPheezingMyButtOff]

All children should be in a proper car seat until at least 12, because boosters offer no side impact protection.

No car seat us breaking the law and leaves you open to prosecution. Its your responsibility to ensure all children are suitably restrained.

You're only options are different seats or change the seatbelts.

[drspouse]

We have the Kiddy style of car seat that goes up to quite a large child, and I think it might work with non-retractable seat belts. But don't quote me on that.

[Eletheomel]

We have a britax kid plus sict car seat that does until age 12 or until the child is 36kg, I think there are quite a few whole body seats that work up until age 12 - maybe worth investing in them?

My friends son was very tall for his age, so he stopped using child car seats at age 8 yrs, as he was over 135cm in height (so depending on how tall your boys are you might not need one?)

Info on law is at: www.childcarseats.org.uk/law/#kids311

[BertieBottsJustGotMarried]

Dr it only goes up to 18kg which is max 4 years. The high back booster needs a retractable belt.

you could probably get away, legally, with having them just in seatbelts. High backed booster definitely unsafe for this as in an accident there is nothing to hold the top part back (i am assuming lap belts?) But logically a cushion booster should be fine (apart from the problems with lap belts themselves).

Seems like the easiest solution would be to try and get retractable 3-point belts fitted.

[drspouse]

Bertie are you answering my post about the Kiddy car seat? It's up to 36kg if so, and uses the impact cushion for younger children and just the car seat belt for over 18kg.

[BertieBottsJustGotMarried]

Yes, the kiddy one. The problem is that with the impact cushion, both parts of the 3 part belt go over the cushion. But when the seat converts to a HBB without the cushion, the diagonal part comes down through the side of the back part over the child's body. So you still need a 3 point belt even if it can be used to 18kg with a lap belt.

[drspouse]

Oh I thought the OP was about a non-retractable 3 point belt? Or do those not exist?

TBF it doesn't say it works with a non-retractable 3 point belt, or that it doesn't, it just says "3 point belt".

[BertieBottsJustGotMarried]

Oh, I don't know, I've never seen one like that so I assumed she meant a lap belt.

You'd think any 3 point belt would work with a booster? I don't see why it would need to be retractable. In fact in some ways it might be safer if it's not!

I suppose we'll have to wait for OP to come back and clarify

[Nannyneedshelp101]

It is 3 point but non-retractable. Very common electric car in London. We had the Britax but the 7 year old is too big and we can not extend the seat as the car is too small in the back move all the parts. The boys go to school in it two days a week.